Welder&#39;s helmet



Patented Nov.. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELDERS HELMET Merril Eisenbud', Monsey, N. Y. Application July 8, 1942, Serial No.. 450,112

.3* Claims. l (-Cl. 12S-143) This invention relates to Welders helmets and the like. I

\ The primary object of the invention is to prowide an article ofr the character described having improved means for keeping noxious fumes and odors, and air-borne particles away' from the `respiratory orifices. In thisconnecti'on a more specific object of my invention isV to provide an article of the character described in which anambient respirable medium is directed against the face in such manner as to form a gaseous curtain which sgregatesthe nostrils and mouth from the atmosphere in which the wearer is working.

An ancillary object of my invention is to provide an article of the character described in which the said ambient medium is also employed toprovide an auxiliary curtain whichA excludes contaminants andy helps to cool the wearer.

Another object of my invention is fto providean article of the character .described which comprises relatively few and simple parts, is rugged; and

durable in construction, comfortable to wear and highly eflicient for the purposes set for h. l Other objects of this inventiony will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointedout.

The inventionr accordingly consists in the fea-l tures of construction, combinations of elementa/ and arrangement of parts which will be exemplif" iied in the construction hereinafter describedmndl of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in whichis shown one of the various possible embodiments` of this invention, i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a weldershelmet embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 2--2 in` Fig. 1; ,f

Fig. 3 is acentral, vertical sectional view taken substantially along they plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig.. 2; and

Figui is4 a sectional view taken substantially along the. plane indicated` by the line `in Fig. 3. i

Referring now to the drawing, I have there shown a welders helmet I0 constructedin accordance with my invention. The supporting and protective elements of said helmet may be of any standard form well known to the art.

In the embodiment herein disclosed. the` supvporting element comprises a head piece consisting of a thin oval band l2. The band I2, as well as the otherl sheet material used in the helmet and lv' 55 light, strong, 'semi-stiff and semi-resilient sublhereinafter, described, preferably comprises a stance, such.. as a. fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin andmoulded or pressed to shape.l A thin cross bow-strap lef-which connects the sides ofthe oval band I2 carries the weight of the main sheet 2,2. The connections between theseveral sheets 22, 26 and 28 may be effected by plastic'zing overlying portions of said sheets and allowing such plasticized portions to cohere or by adhering said portions. witha plastic adhesive.

' To strengthen the joints between the sheetsa pluralityof small rivets 3.0 are employed.

In accordance with myV invention, a plenum chamber 32 isincorporatedin the face shield.

`Said chamber may be formed by attachingto the main curved sh'eet 22 the set-back peripheral edges 34 of an arcuateI sheet 36 having a plan contour approximating that f saidmain sheet. The set-back edgesv 34 are joined and sealed to said main sheet 22' by plastic .adhesives or plasticizers, and: rivets. The-upper edge of the frontsheet 3B.' may beheld to the plenum by the same rivets 3l) that areY employedto attach. the rounde'd portion 26' to the main sheet 22. The remaining edges of the chamber front sheet areatta-ched to the main shee v22y by a plurality of rivets 3l..-

e central` portion of the front sheet 36' is sety i bach andi apertured to coincide with an aperture .fn in the ineinsh/eet 22. so as to provide a viewing "opening,"y A shortY rectangularY tube 40 projects from this opening. Extending from the rear edges of said tube is an angular flange v42 which is of the same shape and size as the set-back edges' surrounding they central aperture of the front sheet 36.' Rivets 4L clamp said front sheet between the` ange ,l2 and edges of the main sheet.

The forward erid of the tube 40 is provided with two-'glass panes le and t8. Thevv rear pane` 46 is clear and stationarily mounted and the forward pane 43 is deeplylf'tinted and lcarried in a frame 30' hinged` to the'tube IIll.. Said;v frame 50 may be detachably secured in its upper vertical position (shown in Fig. y3) by a spring catch 62. f

It will be noted that the side edges 5I of the front sheet 36 do not ex end as far baclr as the y side edges of the main sheet 22, since, forareason which will be shortly apparent, there is no need to provide a plenum chamber at this por-f" tion of the helmet l0. However, the front sheet.

does hav a -pair of narrow rearward extensions 66 whic /terminate at the side ofthe helmet,

said extensions being employed to facilitate sui-y ply of an ambient respirable medium to', the plenum ,chamber 32. In each of said extensions,

f f l a large aperture 58 is provided which is closed of! by a leather washer 60. Said washer is clamped in place between a pair of escutcheons 62 rigidly secured to opposite faces of the front sheet 36. The threaded shank 64' of a hose coupling 66 extends through an aperture in the leather washer, being held in this position by a nut 68 which compresses the washer between itself and a central flange on said coupling. Short rubber tubes 12 connect the ridged end 14 of the hose coupling to a branch fitting 18 permanently and rigidly secured by rivets 18 tothe rear of the band I2. A iiexible impervious hose 80 supplies a respirable medium under pressure to the branch fitting 1B and ythrough it to the two sides of the plenum chamber 32 through the short tubes 12.

It is desirable to offset the pivot rivet 24 from the plenum4 chamber in order to avoid packing this revolving joint. However, it will be appreciated that by virtue of the construction just described the face shield may be pivotally moved relative to the head band I2 without breaking the offset connection between the source of supply of the ambient medium and the plenum chamber, and that 'any angular strain placed upon the coupling 68 during rotary movement of the face shield is absorbed by flexing of the leather -washer 60.

Further in accordance with my invention, the

main sheet 22 is provided with a plurality of apertures which are laid out in accordance with a specific design in order `to provide a blanket or protective curtain of a respirable medium surrounding the respiratory orifices. To this end, the orifices are located in and around the vicinity of the mouth and nostrils and are so disposed that the respiratory medium is directed substantially normal to the face. This will cause said medium to strike the face and mushroom out to regions of lower pressure away from the breathing passageways and carry with it all noxious odors and fumes and air-borne particles. v I have found that helmets of the type above described are superior to helmets wherein the ambient respirable medium is discharged at a point remote from the respiratory orifices o r is supplied locally to the respiratory orifices but is not directed normally to the face.

My improved helmet, wherein an invisible curtain of air is generated, has also proved to be much more comfortable than respirators which rest against the face around the mouth and nostrils.

A pattern of apertures 82 is shown in Fig. 4 which will give. highly satisfactory results. It will be understood. however, that any pattern which causes the breathing orifices to be blanketed and which is ldirected substantially normal to the wearers face is within the scope of m invention.

A feature of my invention is the provision of a plurality of apertures 84 disposed in the vicinity of the wearers brow. The ambient respirable medium forced out of the chamber in this region will noticeably cool the wearer and byv tion are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made' in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device for excluding undesirable atmospheric elements from admission to the respiratory orifices, said device comprising a member which is adapted to be maintained in predetermined position in front of and spaced a short distance from the wearers face, the space between said member and the wearer being open to the outside atmosphere, said member having a plenum chamber therein, apertures in the wall of said chamber immediately in front of the respiratory orifices, means to supply a respirablel medium un-y der pressure to said chamber, said apertures being so disposed that they will direct said medium' toward and normal to the wearers face around and close to the respiratory orifices whereby said medium will strike the face and flow toward the outside atmosphere thus preventing the outside atmosphere from reaching said-.respiratory orifices.

2. A device for excluding undesirable atmospheric elements from admission to the respiratory orifices, said device comprising a plate which is adapted to be maintained in predetermined position in front of and spaced a short distance from the wearers face, the space between said plate and the wearer being open to the outside atmosphere, a second plate whose edges are attached and sealed to said rst plate, the remainder of said second plate being spaced from said first plate whereby to provide a plenum chamber, means to admit a respirable medium under pressure to said chamber, said first plate having a plurality of apertures therein immediately in front of the respiratory orifices so as to direct said medium toward and normal to the wearers face around and close to the respiratory orifices thereof whereby said medium after striking the wearers face will now outwards toward the atmosphere.

3. A device for excluding undesirable atmospheric elements from admission to the respiratory orifices, said device comprising a plate which is adapted to be maintained in predetermined position in front of and spaced a short distance from the wearers face, the space between said plate and the wearer being open to the outside atmosfphere, meansto support said plate for pivotal movement relative to the wearer, a second plate whose edges are attached and sealed to said first plate, the remainder` of said second plate being spaced from said first plate whereby to provide a plenum chamber, flexible means in said second plate to admit a respirable medium under pressure to said chamber, said first plate having a plurality of apertures therein immediately in front of the respiratory orifices so as to direct said medium toward and normal to the wearers face around and close to the respiratory orifices thereof whereby said medium after striking the wearers face will flow outwards toward the atmosphere.

MERRIL EISENBUD. 

